Toy vehicle



ug. 20, 1935. c. c. BLACKMORE TOY VEHICLE Filed Jan. 26, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 20, 1935. c. c. BLAcKMoRE TOY VEHICLE Filed Jan. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented ug. 20, 1935 y 'roY VEHICLE! Y Y charles o. Blackmore'. ioakweod, 0h-i0 n Application January 26, 1934, Serial No. 708,340

` 10 Claims. (o1. 28e-87.5) y A wardly from upper portion 'I3 is a forwardly I H This invention relates to toy vehicles and more particularly to a running gear for such a Vehiele. y

One object oftheinvention is to provide such -a vehicle with a body supporting structure which will be simple in construction, of a strong durable character and which may be produced at a relatively low cost. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting structure of such acharacter that 'the axle 'may be quickly and easily mounted therein in the assembling of the vehicle and will be lirmly retained therein after the vehicle is Yfassembled. i

A ffurther object of the invention is to provide such 'a supporting structure of a shape approximatin'g the 'streamline construction employed in automobiles. Y

A further 'object of the invention is to provide such -a 'supporting structure on which the headlights and their controlling devices may be mounted.

Other objects of the invention may 'appear as fthe 'apparatus is described in detail.

.In th'er'acc'ompanying drawings Fig. lis aside elevationr'of a toy vehicle embodying my `inventin,sl1'owing 'the steering handle, p'artlybroken a`\'i'1ay`;`Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional 'view taken on the line 2-2 ofzFig. 3; Fig.`3lis 'a bottom plan fviewfof aftoy vehicle 'embodying my invention; Fig. 4is a front endelevation of such'a toy ve-` inicie.: partly broken away; and Fig. 5 is a transver'sesectional `view taken 'on the line 5-'5 `of Y 1, 'lo"oking in the direction of the arrow. v In these drawings 'Ihav'e illustrated one ern-` bodimentV of my invention and have shown the s fame' a's applied to a vehicle having the conven- Ytionalvtoytw'agon body but it will'be understood `-that the inventionnmay take Various forms and -ihay :be embodied in toy vehicles of various kinds.

' The particular toy vehicle here shown com-y prises ab'ody portion' I- vprovided at its kfront' 'and rear ends 'with supporting structures indicated as a 'Whole by the reference. numerals I i and`rl2.

.These supporting `structures are similar in 'constr-'uction and' each comprises 'ahollow structure whichI isr preferably approximately semi-circular lin 'cross section andli's providedv with means for supporting the axleoniwhich thevehicle wheels -a're mounted, the'sewheels being preferably'arranged Withinfthe hollow structure. In the parv"tl'cular construction shown each supporting strucrrture 'comprises'an upper portion I3 which preferably has alil'at upperfsurfacearranged in supporting-relation 'to thep'body '.Diverging'fdownjcurved front member or Wall I4 and a rear .member or wall I5, 'the upper portionfofawhich is curved rearwardly and the lower portion'of which, as shown at- '1"6, is Vsubstantially straight 'and in'- Icl-ined with relation to the body. These Ydownwardly diverging `front and rear members vare 'connected one to the other at their respective ends by Aend members 'I l which are provided with means for'supporting the 'axle I8 on which the QQ) jwheels 'I9 are mounted. Preferably the support- The Wheel. supporting means maybe of jany 2o suitable character Y but, Aas here shown, reach -end member is .provided with an axle receiving 'open--V ing 20=formingra socket for theaxle'and', lpreferably provided with an 'outwardly yexgter-i'ding boss 2i. The axle is of such a length that when 5 inserted in the. sockets its ends `will lie adjacent yto 'the outei` ends of the respective bosses 2'I ,sand

it is provided at points spaced from'tlie respective ends thereof with stops 722 vtolimit the inward m'ovement tof the wheels with respect vthereto, 6 these stops being .preferably .provided by forming lugs on the Vaxle itself. In assembling vthewheels and Aaxle on the supporting structure the Awheels are 'mounted Ien the' axle. inserted `between the end members ofthe supporting structure and 'one ,a5

SendA of the axle inserted in its supportingsocket.

The end members are then spread apart to permit' the other end of the axle to be sprung into the socket in the other end member. When Vreleased with the outer central .portions or hubs of the Wheels'and the latter will be confined between the 'end members 'andthe respective stops 212, within thehollow supporting structure.. While the .end

`the end memberswil'l spring into irm'en'gagem'ent -mernb'ershave fsuf'cient 'resiliency to permit the u faXle to be sprung .intoA the sockets it -is of such stiffness lthaty considerable forcevr is necessary f in order to spread Vthe end members apart and 'conse'quently 'af-ter the device has been assembled the :axlewill be firmly retained inthe end members without danger ofbeing `displaced when the vehicle is in use. The wheels are usually spaced apart a distance slightly, greater thanithe width of the..body and, if desired, the front and rear memlziers ofthe supporting structures may be 'of .u

candescent lamps 34.

a length approximately equal to the width of the body and the end members may be embossed or curved outwardly to receive the wheels.

As has been stated, the lower portions oi the rear members of the supporting structure are arranged substantially in an inclined plane and the rear edges of the end members conform to the shape of the rear member but the rear member terminates slightly above the lower edges of the end members and has its rear corner cut away, as shownk at 23,V so as to impart thereto a rear-V wardly extending point. The curved shape of the front member and the pointed shape of the end members impart to the supporting structure as a whole a shape somewhat similar to a streamline construction, thus in a measure simulating the appearance of a streamline automobile, which is pleasing to children and which enhances the sales value of the toy. f

The upper portions of the supporting structures may be secured in supporting relation to the body inany suitable manner. In the particular toy vehicle here shown the front wheels alone constitute steering wheels and the upper portion of the front supporting structure is pivotally connected tothe bottom of the body by a pivot pin 24 extending through the body and through the upper portion of the supporting structure and secured `therein by a cotter pin 25. If desired, a spacing member or washer 25 may be interposed between the supporting structure and the bottom of the body. The rear supporting member is rigidly secured tothe bottom of the body, preferably by bolts 2l. However, in the present construction the two supporting members are identical in construction and the upper parts of both supporting structures are provided with central openings 28 for the pivot pin 24 and with bolt holes 29 for the bolts 21, thus enabling either supporting structure .to be mounted at either end of the vehicle. In the event the invention is applied to a toy vehicle in which both the front and rear wheels have steering movement the supporting members may both be mounted for pivotalmovement and may be connected -one to the other by connecting members orbars in the manner shown in my co- .pending application Serial No. 689,738, iled September 16, 1933.

The vehicle may be propelled and steered in any suitable manner. In the present instance a propelling andV steering handle 30 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 3| which is rigidly secured to the front wall of the supporting member for the front wheels, so that the handle may be either extended in front of the vehicle or tilted Yrear- Wardly above the bed in the usual manner for a coaster wagon.

It is also desirablethat a toy vehicle of this kind should be provided with headlights and means for illuminating the same and I have utilized vthe front supporting structure as a support forthe headlights and the battery and controlling :device therefor. In the present construction the front wall of the supporting structure is provided With forwardly extending bosses 32 in mutation of headlight reflectors and are provided with lamp sockets 33 which extendthrough the front wall and are adapted to receive the bases of small in- Each socket is grounded on the front wall'of the supporting structure and the rear contact on the base of the lamp projects beyond that front wall and engages a resilient Contact member 35 which is mounted on the front wall but insulated therefrom, as shown at 36. The supporting structure is provided within the same with any suitable means for supporting a dry cell and, as here shown, a hollow structure or housing 31 is secured to the front wall of the supporting structure and is adapted to receive the dry cell 38, which is retained therein by a clip 39. The terminal at one end of the cell engages a Contact 4D mounted in one end of the housing 3l, and this contact is connected by conductors 4I with the yieldable Contact members 35 with which the lamp bases engage. Means are provided for connecting they terminal 42 at the opposite end of the dry cell with the front wall of the supporting structure, upon which the lamp sockets are grounded, and, as here shown, a resilient contact member 43 is mounted on the front wall in electrical Contact therewith and is `movable into and out of engagement with the terminal 42. Any suitable means may be provided for controlling the position of the Contact member 43 but, in the present instance, I have utilized a rotary cam 44 mounted on a stud 45 which is rotatably mounted in the front wall and provided on its outer end with a handle orA knob ,45 by means of which it may be rotated. The

the cylindrical portion thereof into engagement with the contact member the latter will be moved out of engagement with the terminal of the dry cell. In this manner the circuit may be closed through the lamps at the will of the operator and the only wires necessary are the short leads from the rear contact member to the resilient contact members 35.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that vI do not desire to be. limited to the details thereof as various modications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

. 1. In a toyvehicle comprising a body, asupporting `structure having a top portion inV supporting relationto said body, end portions ex- .greater than the diameter of the vehicle Wheels,

said structure having supportingconnection with said body, and wheels having supporting connection with the end walls ,ofy said structure.`

3. lIn a toy vehicle comprising aY body and wheels therefor, a supporting l structure having a part above said wheels in supporting relation to said body, having other parts arranged respec- .tively in front of and to the rear ofY said wheels and converging upwardly to the first mentioned part, and having parts connecting said front.

and rear parts one with the other on the outer sides of the respective wheels, and means for supporting said last mentioned parts on said Wheels. 4. In a toy vehicle having a body, an axle,

and wheels mountedfon said axle, a supporting f said end portions, and an upper portion connected with vsaid front, vrear and end portions and having supporting connectionwith said body.

5. In a toy vehicle, having a body, an axle, and wheels mounted on said axle', a supporting structure comprising end portions'on the outer sides of the respective wheels and having means for supporting said axle, each end portion having a curved part extending in front of said wheels and a substantially pointed part extending to theA rear of said wheels, front and rear portions connected with the front and rear edges of said end portions, and an upper portion connected with said front, rear and end portions and having supporting connection with said body. A

6. In a toy vehicle comprising a body and wheels therefor, a hollow supporting structure having an upper portion in supporting relation to said body and having end walls extending downwardly from said upper portion near the respective sides of said body and provided with means for supporting the same on said wheels, each of said vend walls extending substantial dise tances to the front and to the rear of the axes of said wheels, said hollow structure also having front and rear walls secured respectively to the` front'and rear edges of said end walls.

7. In a toy vehicle, comprising a body and wheels therefor, a. hollow supporting structure extending for substantially the full width of said body and having an upper portion in supporting relation thereto and also having front, rear and end walls secured to and extending .downwardly the other, and means for from said upper portion and connected one to supporting said end Walls on said wheels.

8. In a toy vehicle comprisinga body, andI wheels therefor, a hollow supporting structure having an upper portionv in supporting relation tomsaidbody and also having front andrear portions extending downwardly from said upper portion with their lower edges spaced a substantial distance one from the other, said structure also having endportions extending .downwardly from said upper portion on the outer sides of the respective wheelsand secured to said front and rear portions, and meansfor supporting said end por- I tionson said wheels. t

- 9. In a toy vehicle comprising a body, and a supporting structure having a top portion extending across said'body in supporting relation thereto, endwalls extending downwardly from said top portion, and front and rear portions connecting said end portions oneI with the other, an axle supported by said end portions, and wheels carried by said axle adjacent to the respective end portions. v

10. In a toy vehicle comprising a body and wheels therefor, a hollow body supporting structure mounted onsaid wheels, connected with said body for movement about a vertical axis with relation thereto and open at its lower side only, a headlight mounted Yon said structure exteriorly thereof for movementtherewith about said vertical axis, a support for a dry cell mounted on said hollow structure within the same, means carried including a switch for connecting said dry cell with said headlight, and an actuating Vdevice for f said switch having a part arranged exteriorly of said structure. K

CHARLES C. BLACKMORE. 

